Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to make a few remarks on this very important issue this afternoon. The Scally report has laid bare a scandalous catalogue of failures right across some of the most sensitive areas of health care in this country. The women and the families who have been affected and, in some cases, utterly devastated by these failures are the true heroes of this entire sorry saga and their bravery cannot be commended enough.

The report indicates that we have reached a tipping point in the level of dysfunction that afflicts the HSE. We have all known that for a long time and the Minister must know it after two years in office. When will he do something about it? Dr. Scally observed how apparent it is that there are serious gaps in the governance structures of the screening services. In the specific case of CervicalCheck, there was a demonstrable deficit of clear governance and reporting lines between it, the National Screening Service and the higher management structures of the HSE. This confusion, according to Dr. Scally, complicated the reporting of issues and multiplied the risks. We need to let that sink in. Here we have a so-called healthcare service that actually multiplied the risks to women and their families. They were going in there for checks in their own interest. As the Deputy from Galway stated earlier, she is not here to tell people to go for checks; it is up to people themselves but they must have confidence. To think that this is where they ended up - how can we have confidence?

Dr. Scally also noted that there were serious gaps in the range of expertise in the professional and managerial staff directly engaged in the operation of CervicalCheck. In one of his recommendations, Dr. Scally says the Department of Health and the HSE should revise their policies in respect of document management. The implication here is that HSE document management at present is not reliable and does not ensure accountability. I honestly feel that is a deliberate act at this stage, so that there cannot be any accountability. Indeed, Dr. Scally says the view was expressed to the scoping inquiry by some working within National Screening Service that screening was downgraded after being absorbed into the HSE and that they felt they had little influence within the HSE as a whole. That is a common practice. We have seen that no matter what service is absorbed into this monstrosity, it just gets lost. There are lots of good people who have been absorbed into the HSE but it is such an unaccountable and unwieldy organisation now that it must disbanded.

Among other findings, the report noted that there continues to be a somewhat negative relationship and clear disconnect described by the programs between themselves and the HSE chain of command. Issues of isolation, suspicion, lack of trust or support and poor or non-existent communications were cited. We are going to continue with this. The Minister walked into Cashel hospital one day with Deputy Healy, myself and others and he was shocked to see it lying idle. There are so many instances and the Minister has done absolutely nothing about it - an abject failure. Then there was the selective leaking of the report. I am not blaming the Minister but it was only a handful of people who had it. That was despicable as well. It is a case of covering backsides all the time and allowing the HSE senior management and the Department to cover themselves and then wheel in the barristers in court if anything happens. It is despicable, degrading and disgusting. The Minister is presiding over that. I have called on him several times to resign and if he had any moral compass he would do so.

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